Apparatus for scalding grass.



W. 0. KEY.

APPARATU FOR SGALDING GRASS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1911.

1 ,042,688. Patented Oct. 29, 1 912.

WILLIAM 0. KEY, or KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

APPARATUS FOR SCALDING GRASS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 25, 1911.

Patented (Dot. 29,1912 Serial No. 662,504.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. KEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Scalding Grass, of which the following is a specification;

My present invention aims to provide simpie'and' efiicien't means whereby the locomotive of a work train or any other locomotive may be equipped with an attachment for forcing, under considerable pressure, hot water down in between the crevices of the stones or-the-lilke composing the ballast, the hot water being supplied from the boiler through the ordinary blow-off cock by'nieans under the control of the engineer or fireman in the locomotive cab, and serve to effectually kill the roots of the weeds, not only between the rails and the intervening portions of the cross ties, but also outside of the rails on the banks of the ballast.

The invention has for a further object improved means of this character and for this purpose which may be easily applied-t0 any locomotive witho-ut any changes in the construction thereof or without in anywise interfering with the full power or working capacity or any of the ordinary functions of the engine. I

\Viththese and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, 1n which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating sections 4 connected thereto, the outer ends of which are preferably closed by screw plugs 5 or the like. All of these parts are made of relatively strong metal, able to well withstand the relatively high pressure of the hot water and steam forced therethrough, the same issuing through orifices 6 formed in the discharge pipe 1 and in the upwardly curved ends 4 thereof, the orifices in said ends insuring that the hot water and steam shall be deflected downwardly and outwardly in an oblique direction so that the liquid will be forced into the banks of the ballast outside of the rails, as well asiin between the-rails and between the-cross ties. This discharge pipe 1 is secured in suspended'rela tio-n to the rear frame braces 7 of the locomotive, being suitably braced as indicated at 8, the discharge pipe being preferably held at a distance above the track rails equal to the elevation of the pilot nosing, whereby it will be held relatively close to the rails to prevent the hot water and steam from being deflected by a high wind, while at the same time the discharge pipe will not be low enough to interfere in anywise with the travel of the locomotive.

The discharge pipe 1 is connected by a pipe9 extending forwardly from the threeway valve 3 underneath the ash pan of the locomotive and upwardly, as shown, the

forward and upwardly projecting end of the connecting pipe.9 being joined to the ordinary blow-off cook 10 of the boiler. To open the blow-off cock so,as to permit the hot w'ater to be forced at" high pressure down through the pipe 9 and'out through the discharge pipe 1, I have in the present instance secured to the handle 11 of the cock a link rod 12, the latter extending up" through a slot in the running board 13 and having its upper end pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 14 fulcrumed at its elbow on said running board. The

tive Without interfering in anyWise with any other functions of the engine, and is composed of very few parts that may be easily assembled and readily operated Whenever required.

ll am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to kill grass or Weeds on the roadbeds of railways by the use of steam or hot Water or steam and hot Water combined, by the use of specially devised locomotives or attachments thereto that compelled changes 7 in the construction of the boilers or other parts of the engine, and hence do not claim the same; but it is to be particularly noted that With my present invention no changes Whatever are required. in the locomotive, it being only necessary to attach the discharge pipe to the framework of a locomotive, say to the rear frame braces, and to couple the connecting pipe 9 to the hloW-off'cock 10 and to then merely assemble the bell crank lever 14-, the link 12, and the actuating rod 15.

Having thus described the invention, Whatis claimed as new is:

The combination with a locomotive hava boiler provided With a blow-oil cock, of a transverse discharge pipe suspended upon the locomotive in rearof the wheels thereof and projecting laterally beyond the planes of the Wheels, said pipe having a longitudinal series of jet openings in its bottom and having its laterally projecting end portions upturned and provided With series of jet openings to extend the spread of the spray, closures in the extremities of said upturned portions, a connection between said discharge pipe and the blow-oil melt, and means tor operating said blowofi' ,cock.

In testimony whereof I aliiX my sign ture in presence of two Witnesses.

"WILLIAM G. KEY. [Ls] Witnesses:

J. O, VVIL AM, CHAS. H. SMITH. 

